The Gray Space
by Chisis
Summary: An author's challenge to become a better writer. Three 1000 word one shots, written in three days, and posted until the new episode. 3rd Ch.: Kahlan is no good girl when it comes to fighting. And neither is Cara. Agiels against knives. Bring it
1. Sisters' Goodbye

Dennee walked slowly with Kahlan behind the rest of the group. Richard and Cara charged ahead like they always did; Cara was even less at ease then normal and therefore pushing Richard to move faster in a way that only she did. Right behind them was the soldier Kahlan had Confessed, who followed them with his arrow drawn. Zedd was between the sisters and the rest of the group, going at his own odd pace with long strides.

But the two sisters moved along at their own pace. Even Zedd gave them some room for the last moments before they had to leave again, once more leaving Dennee behind.

"This is wrong," Dennee said. Kahlan looked at her. "This woman…her child, it shouldn't have to be like this,"

"But it is," Kahlan put her arm around her sister's shoulders. The gesture wasn't as comforting as it had been in earlier times, and Kahlan knew it. But still, she did it, as an offering of even the smallest protection was better then none. And Kahlan liked that she could still protect her sister, especially in moments like these.

"It all seems so much bigger now then it was before. At least then, we knew that Darken Rahl was mortal, but the Keeper…" She paused, and her eyes dropped down to the ground. " That woman doesn't even know the sacrifice she made. Now to think of her in the underworld, alone,"

The wooded path they were on was coming to a clearing and beyond was a village. They moved along, slowly, still keeping an eye out for any random D'Haran soldiers who'd want to challenge them.

"It's just a little past the village, we should be there in a bit," called Richard from up ahead.

Kahlan felt her sister tense up. She reached down with her other hand and gave a light squeeze. "It's going to be okay,"

They walked along in silence for a bit. The village up ahead was moving closer. No wall surrounded it, just a central cluster of homes and buildings partly surrounded by woods and grassland. It seemed a peaceful, isolated place, though as they got closer Kahlan could see that there were a few more women working out in the fields then was normal.

"Will they even accept me?" Dennee asked the question out loud, but it didn't seem like she expected an answer.

"As Lucinda or as a Confessor?"

Dennee glanced at her sister, then shook her head, but gave no answer. Her new gray eyes were clouded in thought.

Kahlan knew that the best way for her sister to remain safe was to not reveal to anyone that she was a Confessor. She knew it, and she knew that Dennee knew it, despite the awful feelings she had now. Dennee was an honest creature, beyond that of a Confessor's truth. A lie to her, in any form, was difficult to allow.

"I know that you want to help people. But right now, the best thing to do is to be safe, at least for the moment. Because we may need all the friends we have later on. And I need more then a friend, I need my sister,"

Dennee let out a small smile. "You have me, again,"

"I know."

Kahlan walked along, feeling a odd renewal of strength flow within her. Having her sister by her side again, if only for a little while had a calming effect on her after these past few days. The weight on her shoulders wasn't gone, but temporarily displaced.

She let her eyes drift toward Richard and watched as he walked with one hand on the sword, one hand hidden in his clothes. They did have to kill his body, after all, which left his midsection bruised and tender with two small marks that she hoped would clear up without leaving scars. He was moving along at a brisk pace, however, and he didn't seem to be in pain.

"You don't only have me, I see,"

Kahlan turned back to Dennee, her head cocked slightly to one side. "What?"

Dennee moved closer to Kahlan and almost in a whisper said, "I saw you two when he came back. He kissed you,"

The memory was still very much alive in her mind, but Kahlan hadn't had the chance to go over it. As soon as they were out of the brothel, she concentrated on Dennee and put aside the kiss.

"And even more so, you were able to kiss him back. How?" Dennee asked. "How did you do it?"

"Do what?" Kahlan replied. She hoped that Dennee would just stopped with the questions.

"Kiss him without your powers flaring up? I would think with how you two feel towards each other that…"

Kahlan felt her cheeks get warm.

"…that it would be difficult." Her new grey eyes had a odd effect, making her thoughts more transparent then they were before. Large and still, they looked at Kahlan like a hawk. "I knew you two had feelings, but to be able to act on them--"

"I don't," Kahlan interrupted quickly, "We don't."

"Then, your powers…?"

"Haven't changed,"

"Oh." Dennee looked disappointed. "But you're still able to kiss--" Her words drifted off and a small pocket of guilt formed in Kahlan's stomach. She knew that Dennee's mate was probably the first one she was able to be with freely and release her hold on her powers. And in a careless move, Kahlan had opened up an old wound that every Confessor once had. The wound that they couldn't love and be loved in return.

"I love Richard, but my powers are still there," Kahlan explained. "That never changes. The few times we have done anything, it was only because of magic," Which was true, if not entirely.

"I…Richard, and I…" She took a quick breath, "It doesn't happen much at all really. And I've learned how to control myself a bit more, if only for a few moments. " Thankfully, the latest kiss only lasted a few seconds. "But even with that he sometimes… surprises me, and I can't…Richard knows I can't…for very long,"

The words came out wrong, but she hoped that Dennee would know what she was trying to get at. One glance at her sister told her that she didn't need to elaborate, and for that Kahlan was grateful.

Dennee's eyes did widen a little, and she muttered softly, "My dear Kahlan, you really are the Mother Confessor,"

She wasn't sure what she meant by that.

As she opened her mouth to ask, Richard appeared in front of them. Kahlan whipped her head up to attention; she didn't hear him come so close. "We found out where Lucinda lives," he looked down at them, "It's in small farm cottage across the next field. Are you ready?" he said to Dennee.

Dennee didn't do anything at first, then she took a small breath and gave a curt nod. Richard smiled and turned around to lead them to the farm. To where a mother was waiting for her daughter, to where a son was waiting for his mother. Neither of them would find that person in Dennee, only a stranger who looked so much like someone they knew.

Yet, Dennee picked up her head and held it high, ready to do what needed to be done. Regardless of what happened, Dennee was ready.

Kahlan again pushed aside the thoughts of the kiss and concentrated on Dennee. She thought about the words she would say to Lucinda's family, and how to explain to them what their daughter had done for humanity. She thought about Lucinda's son and her own nephew. And she hoped that they would understand.

Then it was out of her hands. For Dennee's sake, she hoped that they were good people. That they would accept her, and the D'Haran soldier she was going to leave with them.

The spirits were with her, after all.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own LOTS characters

Author's note: Second 1000 plus word challenge up tomorrow.


	2. The Inn

Kahlan watched the rain dripped down from the roof of the inn. It was the only distraction the place offered, and sleep felt as far from her as daylight was.

Well, at least we're dry.

Though the thought didn't cover the chill the night provided. She pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders.

Nor did the inn, for that matter.

The inn, a small sad looking thing on the side of a road, made no effort to hide the fact that its owners did not care very much for it. Normally adverse to such a shady looking place, once the rain started the group had little choice but to seek better shelter. To Kahlan's relief, the owners were kind, if overly cautious, people who lived in a small shack behind the inn. After some prodding, they agreed to provide them with what they needed.; a meal that wasn't all meat for once and a few more blankets.

But that was were the niceties ended. The inn was made up of two large rooms that could fit a dozen travelers each. Not much other than cots and mattresses and a table was contained in their room. Kahlan had taken up a matt by the window while Zedd and Cara took up opposite corners of the room. With no one else in the inn, it didn't much matter where they slept.

Zedd gave a loud snore then grunted as he moved around on his bed.

But what I would give for some privacy.

She thought of the baths and rooms at the Confessor's school, and it made her more than a bit homesick for her old pupil days. White marble and rooms with fireplaces. Books laid out by the bedside table to read in case sleep was not forthcoming.

She closed her eyes,.

Stop that. Stop thinking. Just stop thinking and feeling. Let it all go down inside, control your emotions. You are here for a reason, don't let these small details get in the way of that reason.

Behind her, a door opened and a cold breeze chilled her back. She didn't bother turning around, and instead pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders. Boots on the wood floor thumped behind her, before the person wearing them took them off and dropped them, along with his coat and vest. Another breeze of air kept up her neck before a small "criiiick" rang out and the door was shut.

Closing her eyes, she heard Richard move around. Or, more precisely, she heard his clothes shift as his body moved. Normally a silent creature, Richard could be heard when he wanted to. Clearly, this was one of those times. He was coming to her, she knew, and she suppressed a shudder that had nothing to do with the cold.

"Kahlan," his soft whisper was right by her ear. He had joined her on the floor by the window.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his hand reach for her shoulder. She turned toward him. His face was half hidden in darkness, as was hers, but she didn't need light to know his features.

"So, was she here?" She whispered.

He nodded, his head low. "The owners say they saw a woman in white leather ride through here not long ago. She skipped this inn to go to the town a league or so from here. Which means she was either looking for a nicer place to stay, or…"

"She was looking for a disguise, or a fresh horse, or someone she could bend to her will,"

"Probably all three. Which are easy enough to come by for a mord'sith. And, if I know her, she'll also be looking for some way to read that compass,"

She could feel how miserable he was. Though he was manipulated, chained, and then dead, he still took responsibility for losing the compass. Nothing Zedd or Kahlan could say would change that, so they didn't say much to him at all. Cara took the other approach and told him with a stern tone, "You know, had you just listened to me, Lord Rahl, we would not be in this mess,"

He moved his hand off her shoulder and slid it down her arm to her hand to hold. Though the move was innocent, it had a tingling consequence that made Kahlan want to move away from Richard.

But I can't. I want to, but I can't.

Richard brought up his other hand to their joined ones. He then cradled her hand in between his. She could feel the roughness of his fingertips as he rubbed and massaged her hand. Kahlan watched, transfixed, as he bent his head down to their mingled fingers and breathed hot air on them.

"Your hand is like ice, Kahlan," he looked up at her. "Give me the other one,"

It was as though her body had its own agenda, for she gave her other hand so freely, despite wanting it to fight. But the hand didn't even so much as curl into a fist. All she wanted to do was to tell him to stop and to go to sleep. Leave her cold and unmoved, for anything was better then what she was feeling now.

He rubbed her hands and brought them up to his mouth to breath on him. Which was a cruel thing to do, for Kahlan's eyes followed. Yet he didn't notice, concentrating on rubbing the pad of his thumb along her palms. The movements were slow, trying to ease the tension and cold away.

"You know," he whispered, "I think I can feel it,"

She didn't want to know, for as long as he didn't do anything else tonight, there was control.

Spirits, but I have to know.

"Feel what?"

"Your magic," he leaned in closer to her so that their voices wouldn't carry over to the others. "I think I can feel it, its…not like before, when I was under Annabelle's Confession. It feels different, I don't know how, but it seems…"

"Sweeter, almost. If I concentrate, it feels warm…like small sparks from a fire," His brown eyes looked at her. "Does that make any sense?"

"No, not to me,"

"I suppose not. But," he finally released her hands and laid them on her lap, "It's you, like your own signature on your magic. There's so little that I never noticed before," His mind was thinking something, and his body was ahead of his mind, already putting itself in position. Kahlan knew she'd have to stop him before he realized what it was he wanted to do.

He knows better, she thought. I know better.

"It's your soul, though, so I guess it would be you,"

That caught her off guard. "What?"

"A confessor's magic is tied to her spirit, right? That's what Zedd said, so that means that what I'm feeling…" he didn't finish his thought, his voice drifted off as he looked at her like she was a puzzle.

A part of her soul that can be felt through her magic. The thought of that was unsettling to her. It felt too bare, too much like she was naked, wrapped up only in a thin blanket with a loose string. And he found the string and was gently pulling at it, slowly revealing her underneath.

She shivered.

"Or it could be nothing," She watched as his eyes followed a slow trail from her hands to her forearms. Then up from her forearms to her shoulder. They glazed across her chest and she couldn't help but take in a quick breath. It made her chest rise and fall rapidly, which he saw clearly. Up her neck they went, until they reached her own eyes.

I wanted him to see what he does to me, she realized. I want him to watch.

He leaned in to her, his mouth right by her ear, "But I doubt that," His smell filled the space, his physical presence so close. All it would require would be a tiny movement on her part, the smallest of head turns. She could say later that it was an accident, a surprise like all the other times that he had kissed her.

For once, I want to be the one to start.

No.

No. I can't.

Control, Kahlan, control. Please, don't do this, not here, not now.

She turned her head away from his. "Goodnight, Richard,"

The spell was broken, and Richard realized how close he was to her. He straightened himself up, and recoiled back into his own area. It was all stiff movements, as though he was a puppet on strings. Strings that had been pulled tightly to make him obey the only rules he wanted to break. It was not easy, but done anyways.

"Goodnight, Kahlan,"

She laid down on her mattress and watched the rain out of the corner of her eye. She listened as he moved away, the clothes shifting against his body until he too was on his mattress. But he wasn't asleep. He wouldn't sleep, she knew, at least for a while. Instead, he would stare at the ceiling and think about how to cut the strings of control that held them so far apart. He would be hopeful for them both.

But she would not be consumed with those ideas. At last, sleep picked at her eyelids, drawing them closed. Her lungs gave out one last sigh and then darkness consumed her.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own LOTS characters.

Author's note: Next chapter up tomorrow.


	3. The Fight

"Ready?"

Kahlan felt her body slowly loose its tension. Her chest filled with air slowly, held it, then released it. Tingles started in her jaw, but she kept her face loose, her teeth unclenched. Her head felt cleared of the fog and the pain of a small headache subsided, forced out of her concisions by sheer willpower.

Already, there was a new force cursing through her blood. A surge of fresh adrenaline massaging her muscles until there the energy was ready to burst. The sweet, calming effect it had never failed to please her.

There was no question that she could hold her own. Her body was well trained, an acute machine that would obey her instincts and intellect. Its arsenal ranged wide, her arms and legs worn to the bone with memory.

Her nostrils flared as she breathed in and looked not at the person in front of her, but at a new opponent. Her eyes were not focused on one specific part of the body, but her view seemed to widen to include all of her opponents strengths and weaknesses. Her slightly smaller height, her thin build so much like Kahlan's,

Cara favored her right side. She leaned on her right leg, her hands down by her sides, ready to grab the agiels strapped to her leather. Her fingers moved, the hand clenching in and out in a manor that Kahlan knew was only to make her distracted from Cara's eyes.

Kahlan wondered if she should have started off with Cara's central stance, but she shook that thought away.

No, it was better to do what was more comfortable. And she preferred having her body turned slightly to the side, as to expose less of her vital areas.

Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out.

They eyed each other, not moving. Just waiting to see who's patience would run out first.

Cara hadn't wiped the smirk off her face. It was a tactic, she knew, just as Kahlan's straight face was. Everything Cara did now was a tactic, from her hands to her smile. It was all just to distract Kahlan and throw her off so that she wouldn't know where the first attack would come from.

And Kahlan couldn't wait to smile right back at her.

The forest clearing around them seemed to mirror the moment between the two fighters. Everything was still, not a bird or rabbit was making a sound, no wind or rain to disturb. It was silent. No Richard, no Rahl, to distract them.

Finally, Kahlan had enough.

"Let's go," she said.

Her knives were already in her hands as she flung herself forward by the balls of her feet. The first strike was a high thrust with her right knife and coupled with a low counter swipe of her left aimed directly for Cara's stomach.

Cara didn't take the bait. She waited until the last moment before she pulled away, ducking her body to one slide. The two agiels were closing in on Kahlan's arms that had missed their target. Whipping her head around, she twisted the knife in her hand so that it rested along her forearm as she spun. The knife came close to Cara but it wasn't enough.

She had Cara on the defensive, but that wasn't going to last for long.

Cara seemed to know this, for she blocked Kahlan's next knife thrust. With her own agiel, she punched forward toward Kahlan's stomach. The attack was too obvious and Kahlan's body was in mid-turn before the agiel could reach her. She jumped backwards out of reached and struck at the agiel with a cross block of her knives.

The agiel rang out its song, her knives vibrating from its magic. From above an agiel was coming toward her forehead. Kahlan reached up and blocked it with her forearm which caused the blinding pain to shoot up to her shoulder. Instantly, her hand released the knife it was holding. Her eyes clouded momentarily with tears. "Ah!"

With her midsection open, Cara took the chance to move within Kahlan's defense. She cocked her hips to one side, loading up the power to send to her arm. She bent her arm, readying for an elbow strike. With one agiel still being blocked by a knife, Cara released her hips, letting her arm do the rest. It smashed into Kahlan's chest and sent Kahlan flying back a few paces.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" Cara looked into Kahlan's eyes. Her elbow had an effect, she was glad to see.

Kahlan shook her head to clear the tears from her eyes. There would be a bruise there, for certain, but Cara had lost a lot of her momentum before the elbow hit Kahlan, so at least it wasn't a bone breaking strike.

"Nothing more than a little punch. Sad," Now it was her turn to grin, "I expected much more from a Mord'Sith, something other than a simple punch,"

"Well, we can't all have your pretty knives and twirly moves," She glanced down at Kahlan's hands. "One knife, to be exact,"

"At least I don't look like a bar girl who just learned how to fight,"

"I look like a what?"

That sent Cara flying toward Kahlan. With a flash of punches and agiels turning around in her hands, she aimed for Kahlan's midsection and the hand with her knife. Kahlan backed up to get ready and blocked a double jab with her arms. She returned with a jab as she took another step back. Cara dodged the jab, and took a wide side step.

Kahlan saw her opportunity. She baited Cara with a fake strike to her left shoulder, which Cara took. In that moment, Kahlan stepped into Cara and planted her weight down, at the same time reached up with her hands and gripped Cara's outstretched arm. She bent her knees and then pulled Cara's arm down across her own chest as she lifted.

Cara flew over her head and landed on her back. Her agiels were knocked out of her hands as her body slammed on the hard ground. Kahlan took that instant to fling her remaining knife out. Cara rolled over just as the blade neared her body. It wasn't quick enough though, and still the blade made a small cut in her arm. Bright red blood dripped on her leather.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I cut you?"

"Nice, Confessor. So the counts one to one,"

The feeling of the fight was elevating every other emotion by the tenfold.

It was a method for Kahlan to release all of her pent up energy, and she reveled in the thrilled afterglow of the moment. Her hands twitched, and she felt her power spiking. Danger was never more fun then with a good opponent to fight.

* * *

"Are you sure its just an exercise for them?" Richard asked with a tint of worry in his voice. "Because they seemed to be really going at each other, I think Cara's bleeding,"

Zedd let out a snort, "Good for Kahlan," He patted the horses and gave them a reassuring shush. "Just let them be, Richard,"

Richard walked back from where he was watching to Zedd. "They have to stop before we said we'd be back, right?"

"I'm certain that is their plan," Zedd said. He dove his hand into one of the horses' bags and came up with an apple. He settled himself down, folding his long legs up into a sitting position. "And since they're so busy, we can take this time to enjoy ourselves a little snack,"

"I can't believe you're thinking about food when Kahlan and Cara are at each other's throats,"

"Literally, not figuratively, which is a big difference. I'd rather let them work off their anger in this manner than in another squabble in a day or so,"

Richard felt he needed to defend them. "They aren't like that. Not always. Maybe if I just talked to them--"

Zedd bit into the apple and looked up at him. "Boy, that is the last thing you should do. Remember rule number 18?"

"Always have a second plan?"

"Never let a woman's wrath be turned on you, if you can avoid it," A large chunk of apple rolled around in his mouth, making his speech muffled. "I learned that one from our nice friend Shota,"

Richard frowned. He stood by the horses, patting their soft noses.

"Face it, Richard. Of the two women you could have had on this mission, you have two of the most headstrong women I have ever known. And if you think you can step into their fight without having their anger turning towards you then you, my boy, are an idiot,"

It wasn't something he was going to admit, but he hadn't actually considered of stepping into their fight. He knew exactly how deadly that could turn out, and he wasn't willing to test it. Really, he was more worried about what had caused this, and if it had anything to do with him.

"I doubt that,"

Richard turned to him. "What?" Those keen eyes laughed at him. "How did you know…?"

"You are plainly obvious when it comes to those two. But don't worry, this has nothing to do with you." Half of the apple was slowly turning around in midair and was joined by some floating raisins from the pack. "I think its their own pride that makes them want to spar each other. Simply to see who can best the other. It's a game to them,"

"A game." He remembered how Kahlan had once attacked him randomly in the forest, simply because she was bored. The grin she had on her face as she surprised him was one of joy. "So they're just playing…"

"Yes, a game. Nothing more then something to do, to waste time and energy till we got back with fresh horses. Which, when you think about it, is a good thing. They're learning each others fighting strengths and weaknesses, and are the better for it,"

Though not entirely satisfied, Richard figured that was the most he would understand of this.

When they finally came back to the camp ground, Kahlan and Cara were on opposite logs, tending to their own weapons. Occasionally, they would glance at each other, seizing the other one up, but then return to their normal states. But Richard did notice that both of them seemed more at ease. Cara was willing to go on a small hunt before darkness completely took over and Kahlan smiled at Richard more and let her humor amuse Zedd.

Later, Richard would wonder who had won, but he never found out. And he figured it was better that way.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own LOTS characters.

Author's note: Well, that was a fun little experiment!

I am unsure as to why I haven't done this earilier, but the only sad excuse I can offer is that I didn't think I was ready.

My idea for this "fic" was more selfish then anything else. In a nutshell, I only really wanted to do one thing; To actually write something, anything, each day of the week between episodes. I figure a least a 1000 words a day was a good start, and so that exactly what I did. Even when I had no ideas, I wrote and wrote until I had at least three pages of something, and then I edited the crap out of it till it was trimmed down fit my goal. I ended up with 6 one shots, each between 1000 and 2500 words. Now, I didn't post everything up because half of what I wrote during the week ended up to be crap by the end, so I figured I would only post three up, and I chose the best three.

Reviewers: My Chisis, you sure did work hard! But how is it that you ended up with all Kahlan oneshots? Don't you like Richard, huh huh, do ya? Well, do ya? You crazy, Chisis!

It wasn't my original intention to concentrate on Kahlan this week, and I actually had a decent fic concerning purely Cara that I wanted to post, but it just wasn't to the point where I thought it should be.

The Kahlan centric stories, on the other hand, were my most complete ideas and therefore made the cut. I think she came out nicely, though I did try and add a more selfish touch to her, which I believe came out a bit more in the second and (especially) the third chapter. I really did try and concentrate each chapter on some hook; the first one was family, and her need to protect her sister, even when it clearly did not work; the second was a fluff romance with an angsty bent; and the third was probably the most fun and difficult to write and concentrated on her power as a fighter. With each of these I tried to get her to be more realistic, more rounded character. She wasn't perfect, and my fluff was probably the worst, but at least I got some of her.

Reviewers: Wow, cool, Chisis! You actually followed through on your word! That, like, never happens!

Yes, I know. Have faith in me, reviewers. But this experiement worked out way better than I thought it would. I actually learned more about myself as a writer than I thought. So, I might try it again for next week, after this weekend's new episode. IF I do, the new one shots will be up starting either on Tuesday or Wednesday. Thank you to people who reviewed this story. Cheers.


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